Automatic safety-door eor mines



H. J. MEISEL.

Aumwmm SAFETY DOOR ron MINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16.1917.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEE T I.

tii 4a H. J. MEISEL.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DOOR FOR MINES.

APPLICA TION FILED OCT-16.1917.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

@ YNE'T I snares an view HARRY J. MEISEL, or BUTTE, MONTANA.

. 7 AUTOMATIC SAFETY-DOOR F03 MINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed October 16, 1917. Serial No. 196,891.

To all whom it may concern provision of safety doors for mines adapted for automatically closing upon a break, either accidentally or intentionally, in an electrical circuit of the safety system installed in the mine.

A further object of the device is the provision of a double door adapted for closing an entry or a passage through a mine, such as a level thereof, in the event of a fire or other eXigency when it becomes necessary to cut ofi communication between different portions of the mine, the device being unaffected by any mine drafts and being electrically controlled wherever the occasion requires.

A still further object of the invention is the pro-vision of a safety mine door construction adapted for normal maintainance in its open arrangement by means of a closed electrical circuit, the releasing ofthe device for automatically closing the doors being affected by means of electrical switches and fuses located either in the mine or above the surface of the earth, While the device is automatically operated upon any break in the electrical circuit such as-that caused by the burning of the wires in the event of ,a fire in the mine either destroying or short circuiting the electrical circuit of the systern.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combina- 7 tion and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application, and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a mine shaft and lateral level, I

mainly diagrammatic, illustrating the electrical system of the device,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken through a portion of the mine provided with the device the latter being shown in its open arrangement and parts being broken away,

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one end of the device,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion thereof with one abutment shown in vertical section,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan detail view of a portion of the device slightly enlarged illustrating the electrical latch mechanism,

and

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevationalviews taken from different sides thereof.

It being understood that the device may be employed in connection with any form of mine and either in an entry, drift, passage or shaft thereof, the same is herein illustrated in connection with a first level or entry 10 laterally constructed with respect to the vertical main shaft 11 of the mine.

Wherever it is desired to position doors for cutting off communication with different parts of the mine, oppsite abutments 12 and Y13 are constructed of fireproof material toward the abutments 12 and 13 and toward each other when moving to their closed positions within the door frames 20. The said doors taken together form a single closing unit.

An angular shield 21 is arranged at the corresponding side of each frame 20 adapted for the accommodation of a closing weight 22 for the adjacent door, operatively connected to an arm 23 attached to the upper outer corner of each door 17 by means of a metal cable or similar flexible connector 24 which passes over a swivelly mounted pulley 25 carried by cthe abutment 13 above each of the shields or guards 21.

An arm 26 formedof angle iron projects 7 respect to the top of the, adjacent-door frame 20 and is preferably connected thereto by means of braces 27. A solenoid 28' isnloumed by means of a bracket 29 upon the free.

end of each arm 26 as at30 where the up? per flange of the arm is broken away. The core 31 of the solenoid'28'is pivot-ally connectedto a latch 32 pivoted upon a finger 33 of'the arm 26 and having a'hooked free end 34 adapted for seating reception within a keeper socket orslot 35 in the adjacently positionedffiange 36 of the door 17' when the latter, is inits openarrangement and the core 31 is retracted withthe electrical circuit of the solenoid unbroken.

From this description of the device it will readily beunderstood that upon elevating the latches 32, the doors 16 will be released and the weights .22 will automatically close the oppositely arranged doors within the casing20 forminga fire-proof door construction; The rails 37 of the mine railway pass through the door casings 20 and are preferably arranged with filler blocks 38 of'cement or other-fireroof' material arranged between the rails 3 'and the abutments 12 and 13 atopposite points inwardly of the door frames 20; The floor 16 of themine is arranged above the bottom portion 40 ofeach of the door frames 20, while the closing ofthedoors 17 above the tracks '37 and adjacent the blocks, 38- formsa substantially fire and gas'tight joint at the bottoms of the doors, when closed sufficient for preventing-the passing of flames between the space intermediate-the said doors.

Circuit wires 41 are provided'fo'r the solenoids 28 arranged for passing through a conduit 42 in the abutment 12- and preferably arranged" with a single throw switch 43 in the circuit wires leading to each of the solenolds, while a smglethrow short circuit switch 44 may be arranged in each 45 level or entry of the mine for controlling all of the doors arranged therein.

Main line wires 45 supply current to the circuit wires 41 and extend from a source of electrical supply outside of theinine to points through'the shaft 11. A doublepole single throw switch '46gis arranged above the ground in the main line wires'45 while a fuse 47 is also arranged in each ofzthe. main line wires. Achandle 49.1nay be provided for each of the doors 17 while it .will

be understood thatthe doorframes 20 are anchored as at 50 to the abutment 12. Plpes 51' are: arranged-1n the usual manner through the mine forfconducting air and water and for any purposes desired, it being understood that thespace -between the door casings 20 andthe roof 15 of the mine 17 normally retained open by the latches 32 as herein-indicated, theswitches 43 and 46 will be closed and the thermal plugs 47 wi-ll be mounted in the fuse block 48. In

the event of a fire occurring at any point in the mine and burning any of the wires 41 or 45, sufficiently to sever one of the Wires 7 or short circuit the system, the solenoids 28 will be deenergized and the cores 31 being released will dro-p of their own'weigh-t thereby releasing the latches 32 from the slots 35 of the doors 171 and permitting the weights 22 to-automaticallyclose the said doors simultaneously. Then it'isdesired to close all of the doors in themin'e, the switch 46 may be opened thereby break ing the electrical connection for allflofthe solenoids 28 and releasing all of the-doors. The switch 44 controls-all-of'the doors-upon the level or entry at the mouth of which said switch is arranged and' upon closing the switch 44"the circuit wires-41 for the solenoids within that "level willa be disconnected from the source of supply byb'eing short circuited resulting in the closing of the doors of the level.

It will be also noted that a short circuit occurringeither intentionally or accidentally within the wires of the system,- will result in blowing the fuses 47 and disconnecting the main line wires 45. from the mine resulting the same asthe opening of the switch 46.

Itwill be seen that a serviceable safety arrangement for mines is provided being a protection against fire for automatically neverthelessto be understood that various forms, modifications and arrangements'of the parts may be made Without departing from the: spirit and scope of the invention as claimedf What I claim as new is A safety device for minescoinprising relativelyv spaced oppositely arranged abutments located 'in a mine passage, door frames secured to the opposite sides 'ofthe abutments, a door hinged} to each frame for horizontal swinging movement towarchand away from each other, an angular shield arranged at the correspondingsideof each"- door frame remotefrom theendj-to which the door is hinged, a closin-gweightmovable in each shield, a fixed arm outwardlyprojecting from each door frame, bracing means connecting the arm to the door frame, upwardly and outwardly proj ecting attaching means carried by the upper outer corner of the free end of each door, a cable connected to the free end of each attaching means and to the Weight in each shield whereby the doors may be automatically closed, and an electrically operated latch mechanism carried by the outer end of each arm and adapted for engagement with the upper edge of the free end of each door? for normally holding the doors in open po- 10 sition.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY J. MEISEL. 

